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Today's reviews!

Reviews for 19-12-21 
​Reviews for 18-12-21 Reviews for 17-12-21 Reviews for 16-12-21
​Reviews for 15-12-21 Reviews for 14-12-21 Reviews for 13-12-21
​Reviews for 12-12-21 Reviews for 11-12-21 Reviews for 10-12-21
​Reviews for 09-12-21 Reviews for 08-12-21 Reviews for 07-12-21
​Reviews for 06-12-21 Reviews for 05-12-21 Reviews for 04-12-21
​Reviews for 03-12-11 Reviews for 02-12-21 Reviews for 01-12-21

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Iron Fist in Heart of the Dragon #1

1/25/2021

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Iron Fist in Heart of the Dragon #1
Marvel Comics 2021
Written by Larry Hama
Illustrated by DAvid Wachter
Coloured by Neeraj Menon
Lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham

    AN IRON FIST EPIC FROM LEGENDARY CREATOR LARRY HAMA! 
     Someone is killing the ancient dragons that power the HEAVENLY CITIES, and only IRON FIST and the DEADLY WEAPONS can stop them…if they can discover who they are in time! Zombie armies, mystical portals, dragon hearts, some of the Marvel Universe’s deadliest fighters all converge in one action-packed extravaganza, and the fate of all worlds hangs in the balance!

    Larry Hama is one of those writers we all know and love and his work on the Joe’s is literally legendary so seeing he was taking a crack at Iron Fist I knew I had to jump all over it.  If this is what we are going to see throughout then we’re in for a crackin good time.  Right off the bat I noticed this is coming out in the midst of King in Black and it has nothing to do with it which makes me happier than you could possibly know.  Now if someone could just convince Larry to write an ongoing monthly with Danny, throw him a boatload of cash, then Make Mine Marvel might just be a real thing once again.

    I love the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is perfectly presented.  One of the things about this that I am enjoying already is that this is completely new reader friendly.  Sure it helps to understand what’s going on in the Marvel Universe but everything we really need to know is given at some point in time within the story.  The character development we see is outrageously good here.  We know these characters, how they act and behave and yet we still get to see moments, with Pei especially, that surprise and bring a smile to our face is utterly priceless.  The pacing we see is superb and as it takes us through the pages setting up the story, the cast of characters--heroes and villains--you know that this is going to be something that takes us to the corners of heaven and hell.

    With how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story emerge alongside those that seemingly come from nowhere it shows us the mind of master storytelling.  Then there’s also how well everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow which is utterly marvellous as well.

    This issue opens up with what I consider an old fashioned splash-page and I love it!  The linework we see is great and the comic book style feels a little more tweaked and elevated than the norm so it keeps the eye on the page and the mind interested.  There is some absolutely beautiful detail work that we see through the varying weights and techniques and the imagination that it’s able to capture, ignite and just transport you to this place.  The composition within the panels means that even without backgrounds being utilised the space feels full so overall it’s has this great cohesive look.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work is superb!  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is utterly magnificent.  The dragon, the masked figure with it that’s the most rememberable moment that you’ll get.
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    This is brilliantly done all around.  This is the kind of work that makes you want to see the creative team never stop doing this character.  It is so easy to bond with this book and that’s dangerous in a limited run but it is very much worth every moment of experiencing it that’s for sure.  

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Future State: Nightwing #1

1/24/2021

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Future State: Nightwing #1
DC Comics 2021
Written by Andrew Constant
Illustrated by Nicola Scott
Coloured by Ivan Plascencia
Lettered by Wes Abbott

    Batman is gone! Now, Nightwing has taken on the mission of keeping the citizens of Gotham City safe from the Magistrate. But to do that, he’ll have stay one step ahead of the Magistrate! And you know things have gotten bad in Gotham when the safest place for Dick to hide out is the abandoned Arkham Asylum! When Nightwing gets a visit from a mask claiming to be the new Batman…does he fight like one? 

    I wasn’t really interested in all these books.  I mean I’m not even sure what this is supposed to be about or if this is supposed to be in continuity, if that is even still a thing, or if it’s one of the many Earths in the Multiverse or what.  I am, however, working with DC these days and I’ve always had a soft spot for Dick Grayson so here we are.  So there are a number of things that intrigue me here, Paul is a little known writer and Ahoy Comics guy and he’s stepping into his own as a storyteller.  Nicola is a wonder woman in her own right and to see her take on Dick, and the rear end that’d make Chris Evans jealous, is going to be a winning combination in my opinion.

    I like the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well.  The opening here is spectacular and while at first it seems it is going to go one way Paul isn’t content to let us think we know what’s going to happen here and if he can do this right out the gate I cannot wait to see what else he has in store for us.  The character development starts off straight forward and we get these glimpses of how he’s changed through the unknown yet powerful events that led up to this.  I like what I am seeing and while I am not ready to explore those events I am eagerly awaiting to see what’s next.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing this new world and the story at hand and it is pretty glorious.

    I love Nicola and the work that she does.  Her linework is impeccable and how she’s able to utilise the varying weights and techniques to bring out this gorgeous detail work is masterful.  I do wish we’d see backgrounds utilised more but hey it’s okay because how we see the composition within the panels is marvellous regardless.  I am slightly disappointed that the towel didn’t fall off but that’s personal preference.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show this masterful eye for storytelling.  The colour work that we see is utterly spectacular.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is exemplary.  The eye for colour that we see here is so gorgeous and so talented in how we see the mood, tone and feel is enabled to seep into the reader.
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    With how we see this book structured and how the layers within the story have appeared as if they just manage to continue from what we’ve not seen is a stupendous display of talent.  How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow is extremely nice to see.  Overall if this were just one of the Earth’s of the Multiverse and it can remain that Earth’s future then I would love to see this continue, kind of like an Elseworld’s story.

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The Courier in Liberty and Death #1

1/24/2021

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The Courier in Liberty and Death #1
Zenescope Entertainment 2021
Written by Ralph Tedesco
Illustrated by Oliver Borges
Coloured by Fran Bamboa, J.C. Ruiz & Maxflan Araujo
Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual

    The long-awaited sequel to 2017s hit comic book series is here!
     
When Eve returns to Liberty - the stronghold where she was raised - she reconnects with her brother who works for a ruthless gang leader named Gillings. And when old debts are asked to be paid in the form of murder, Eve must find a way to save not only her brother, but her soul.

     Oh my goodness we should never wait this long again lol.  One of the best things about this franchise is that while it’s set in a post apocalyptic setting and they have these primals which appear to be humans who have become zombie like creatures that are evolving.  It takes on a much different look, tone and feel than what we’re used to seeing and that is one of the major factors that sets this apart from the crowd.  Also while I criticise Joe for his writing, he really does need to stop, Ralph is improving with every outing.  He has the hang of bringing the reader into the story, generating interest and engaging the reader so that they want to keep coming back.  If you need a great example of this then look no further than the opening to this book, it brings us in and makes us think and then it draws into the main body of the story beautifully.

    I am thoroughly enjoying the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well.  With how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story emerge it continues to build up suspense and intrigue with each turn of the page.  The character development is amazing to see.  With the dialogue the way that the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter continue to flesh them out in ways we can relate to.  The pacing is spot on and as it takes us through the pages revealing this arc’s story and the twists & turns that will keep your adrenaline pumping it goes above and beyond expectations.  With how we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is beautifully done.

    This has a classic comic book style to the interiors and it works so incredibly well.  The linework that we see with its varying weights and even techniques being utilised to create the detail work we see is sensational.  I am a huge fan of the way we see the faces and facial expressions here and how much emotion and feelings they convey.  I love the fact that backgrounds are so important to this story and how well they are utilised throughout the book.  The way they work within the composition of the panels to not only bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story but they add this extra layer of impact when it’s needed or just when a little more zing when you least expect it.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a strong, talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work is great to see!  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and colour work is superb.
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    I am super impressed with the quality and level of storytelling in this issue.  To see the growth in writing from Ralph is one wonderful and this creative team makes this feel like a viable and interesting world is stellar.  This is a richly filled world with interesting characters and a dynamic that says if you aren’t a hunter then you are prey, whether it’s in the society you live or on the highways and byways you’d best sleep with one eye open.

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I Breathed A Body #1

1/24/2021

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I Breathed A Body #1
Aftershock Comics 2021
Written by Zac Thompson
Illustrated by Andy MacDonald
Coloured by Triona Farrell
Lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

    A science fiction horror series about social media, big tech, and influencer culture.  It’s The Social Network meets Hellraiser. When the world’s biggest influencer posts something irredeemably horrific online, the world changes in an instant. Now it’s up to his social media manager, Anne Stewart, to fan the flames of outrage and create a sensationalist campaign that rewrites the rules of “banned content.” Thus begins a carnival of lust, revulsion, desire, and disgust – all for viral videos.

    Alright two things to note before we get into this full swing, one is that Zac is a great writer and idea man and I have enjoyed all the wacky weirdness that he’d done so far and two, Aftershock Comics continues to pave the way towards the future with the books they bring to readers’.  So the fact that this is outside the box science fiction/horror that takes a phenomenal look at the current way society seems to be codependent on social media makes this feel like it’s less satirical and more news worthy.  I know I have scaled way back on my social media use for myself, not the review site though, and the last two days i’ve forgotten my phone leaving the house so when I see something like this I can instantly see my own point of view alongside Zac’s interpretation of what he sees.

Oh I am enjoying the way that this is being told.   The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented in a wonderfully unique way.  Sure we get to know about this social media platform, what its about in a limited fashion and a bit about the world but it’s done so interestingly to me.  The character development is marvellous!  I really enjoy seeing not only the dialogue but how they act and react to the situations and circumstances that flesh them out as relatable people.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the world, story, characters as well as the twists and turns along the way I have to say this gets more and more interesting with each turn of the page.

    The interiors here are really sensational!  The linework we see is exquisite and how the varying weights and techniques that we see being utilised to bring about this level of quality in the detail is beyond incredible.  There are moments that defy logic and imagination and bring you to a world you’ve no idea how to escape or if you even want to.  The gender neutral character is impressive and I don’t know what is hanging in that, we’ll call it a larder, but that doesn’t look like anything I recognise and it gives me shivers.  How we see the backgrounds utilised within the composition of the panels is a thing of beauty and perfection.  They enhance the moments along with some wonderful depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masterful eye for storytelling.  The colour work is utterly divine and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work.  The mastery of colour that we see is completely impressive to me and wowza!
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    This is why Aftershock is an Apex Publishing House.  The talent, charisma, nerve and vision of the creators here are brought to life in ways that just cannot be missed.

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Cutting Edge: The Devil's Mirror #1

1/23/2021

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Cutting Edge: The Devil’s Mirror #1
Titan Comics 2021
Written by Francesco Dimitri
Illustrated by Mario Alberti
Translated by Marc Bourbon-Crook
Lettered by Jessica Burton

    The Dodecathlon continues, but time is running out! The team’s last hope is a lost artifact known only as The Devil’s Mirror!  Brought together by a clandestine corporation, the world’s greatest scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs must unite to solve a mystery of epic proportions! But as the conspiracy is unveiled, how many will survive…?

    This is an oversized book and I couldn’t be any more thankful for that!  I know this is based off a video game but honestly since I don’t play any this is completely a stand alone story that you can read and enjoy without any prior knowledge of the game.  I love a new reader friendly series that ties into an existing franchise and if you haven’t read the issue leading up to this one that’s okay too though I highly recommend that you find it and read it as well.  I mean this is so well written and has all these incredible nuances to the way it’s being told that you really need to pay attention to what you are both reading and seeing on the page.  This is as intellectual as it is just damn fine storytelling and the two together plus all the other aspects of it well this is why you love comic books.

    I am in love with the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is perfectly presented.  Just the ease in which we see the characters going through the pages and revealing the story to us thanks to how this is structured and how we see the layers within the story bringing this all to life is some of the best storytelling you’ll ever see.  The character development is phenomenal and as we see the dialogue and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter fleshing them them out even further.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way we are treated to one hell of an interesting journey being taken.  Plus seeing how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow really is pretty amazing to witness.  

    If you aren’t all that familiar with Titan Comics, then shame on you, then you don’t know what kind of talent you will see in the interiors.  These interiors are mindbogglingly stunningly gorgeous and the talent and skill that it takes to create this level and quality of work is a fanboy or fangirl’s dream come true.  How we see the composition within the panels and how the backgrounds are utilised is beyond amazing.  Not only doe they enhance the moments but they bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.  Plus there are moments that you need to see to believe and trust me when I say you’ll wish you’d see in every book.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masters eye for storytelling.  The colour work that we see is divine.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is extraordinary.  
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    One of the things that impresses me the most aside from the unbelievable level and quality of storytelling is how Titan Comics manages to find these and bring them to a much wider audience.  I wish I could read this in its original language and get all the subtlety and nuances form that outside of a translation.  This is what I want to see every single time I open up a comic book.

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Gung-Ho: Sexy Beast #1

1/21/2021

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Gung-Ho: Sexy Beast #1
Ablaze Publishing 2021
Written by Benjamin Von Eckartsberg
Illustrated by Thomas Von Kummant
Translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger

    The return of Gung-Ho! “Sexy Beast” picks up a few weeks after the events in “Short Circuit”, where at Fort Apache, the situation is more tense than ever, as the threat posed by the rippers adds to an increasingly difficult life for the colony. Kingsten briefs the fort council on the situation following the stolen goods from the train. The colony is running out of supplies, heavy weapons and ammunition, and so it is decided to ration even more. She orders a team to be set up to find the stolen delivery in the danger zone. She also asks Bagster to put pressure on the government again for help. She believes a white wave is coming, a big attack from the rippers…

    This really is one of my favourite series and while the first arc introduced us to the last stop for the brothers we’ve seen them settle in among others their age and find ways to work around the system that’s already been in place.  The adults here are basically horrid, despicable people so you have to keep an eye on what they say and do because it’s like watching folks with mythomania and pseudologia fantastica and if you’ve ever met someone with this issue you’ll understand.  So as we watch how things unfold there is this gripping sensation to the proceedings that you don’t want to escape.

    I am immensely enjoying the way that this is being told.  How we see the story & plot development through the way we see the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  With how the book is structured and how the layers within the story start anew as well as continue from previous arcs it is really keeps the reader informed and glued to the pages.  So if you’ve not yet read any of this that’s okay because this too is new reader friendly and you’ll be able to understand what’s happened before easily enough.  The character development continues to impress and as we see the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter we see them more and more fully as real people.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way while also setting up this arcs main story it’s great to see what kind of adventure we’re in for.

    The interiors here are rather lovely.  I know it’s computer generated and yet it still has this wonderful feel to the work that makes it stand out from just about everything else.  There is such wonderful imagery that the linework and the use of colour that just brings this to life like it’s a world without hard edges and can be something of a paradise at times.  I love the way that we are able to see feelings and emotions come through the pages and how the mood, tone and feel of the moment are essential to how the reader sees the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masterful eye for storytelling.  The colour work is beyond amazing and to see how the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is stupendous.
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    I love the dynamic in this book, how the adults and teenagers live their separate and somehow parallel lives with the young children running carefree but knowing that there is always a danger around every corner.  This more than just living a life in a dangerous time and you have to find those subtle nuances that really create the layers of subtext that we see.  You’ll find those you connect with and those that you might not understand but altogether this is one of the most interesting books you are going to encounter. 

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Abbott 1973 #1

1/20/2021

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Abbott 1973 #1
BOOM! Studios 2021
Written by Saladin Ahmed
Illustrated by Sami Kivelä
Coloured by Mattia Iacono
Lettered by Jim Campbell

    Detroit's hardest hitting journalist, Elena Abbott, is trying to make a fresh start at a new newspaper... but her deadly past isn't ready to let go. The city is days away from the historic election of a Black candidate as their new Mayor, but a vicious new group has emerged to destroy him, targeting anyone who supports his campaign or the change he represents. That means Abbott, who discovers the group's connection to a dangerous dark magic, has been targeted for certain death -- unless she embraces her true power as the Lightbringer to save her city.

    I really like the idea of this being an alternate history story one where Elena is the unwilling recipient of the Lightbringer that leaves it up to her to save the city.  I like she is one of the city’s best and hardest hitting reporters and that after the last arc the City of Detroit is gearing up for it’s first black mayor as well.  With her openness to having male and female lovers it’s great to see a woman of colour being given so much range in a book like this.  The opening here is everything that we want to see in an opening as it has the ambiguous clan of bad guys whom meet in secrecy to plan their next move.  All the while they admit that their previous agent wasn’t near enough up to the task at hand.
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    I am very much enjoying the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development tahta we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well.  How we see this being structured as well as how the layers within the story emerge and play against one another as it keeps us moving forward looking for what is the reality and what’s the red herring.  The character development that we see really is quite superb and as we see how they act and react to the circumstances and situations that they encounter as well as how we see the dialogue helps to really flesh these characters out nicely.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way we are treated to the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Elena’s life.

    The interiors here are really quite lovely to see.  I like the strength of the linework and how through the varying weights we see the amount of detail work on these pages.  There is also this amazing variations in techniques as well depending on what it is we are seeing and the two contrast each other beautifully.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkable eye for storytelling.  While we see a lot of backgrounds being utilised it never hurts to see more of them because honestly they really do wonders in fleshing out the moments.  The colour work is utterly fantastic!  From the darker imagery full of purples and those beautiful hues and tones within it to the everyday hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is brilliantly done.
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    Supernatural horror and suspense that takes place during a real time in history makes for some incredibly interesting reading.  Add into this the whole openness of her sexuality that takes place in an era where that wasn’t quite accepted yet and there's this whole range of amazing storytelling aspects in play that you most definitely do NOT want to miss!

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Pantomime #2

1/20/2021

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Pantomime #2
Mad Cave Studios 2020
Written by Christopher Sebela
Illustrated by David Stoll
Coloured by Dearbhla Kelly
Lettered by Justin Birch

    The Manager has broken into the lives of our teen criminals and pulls them further into the darkness. Giving them a crook’s playground to train their skills to send them out on jobs for him. Can the kids get out before it’s too late, or will The Manager swallow them up? 

    So here I am trying to catch up and this is one of those series that I really wanted to do a few reviews of so you all know it’s out there.  The idea Christopher came up with here is beyond amazing and I think it takes a common misconception and turns on its ear in a way that so many folks need to see.  I wouldn’t call this an all-ages book but definitely T+ and I wholeheartedly believe that as many folks as humanly possible read this story.  It will such an affect on each person to read it that I am not sure you will others the same way again.  Plus it’s just a damn good book and told in such a way that’s pretty stupendous.  

    I am a fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well.  I don’t know why folks were so scared of characters like Jericho because here we have a whole group of deaf kids who have no trouble communicating with one another as we see abridged hand motions with what those words are that are being said.  It is a great way to get the point across and that the kids aren’t the only ones here who understand and know just enough to be a factor is rather interesting to me.  The character development remains impressive and to see it through the combination of words and visuals, mainly faces and facial expressions is exciting.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way well you won’t believe the kind of things that happen this issue.

    How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow and new ones emerge we get to see a look into what makes kids wanna break the rules and the adults who use them.  Plus it’s really nice to see how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow.

    I think the interiors here are lovely.  I want to see backgrounds utilised more often, I am not a fan of blank backgrounds they don’t do anything to enhance what we see and feel a little lazy to me.  The linework is strong and confident and how the varying weights are utilised to bring out the detail work that we see is nicely rendered.  The depth perception that we see is great and there is some a nice sense of scale as well.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a nice talented eye for storytelling.f  the colour work is also nicely rendered.  How we see the hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is extremely nice to see.  I like the techniques we see in use here for laying the colour down too because it isn’t one style alone and that has the ability to draw the eye around the page.
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    Sometimes you come across a great little book that really strikes a chord with you in a way you weren’t expecting and this will be one of those books.  

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Home Sick Pilots #2

1/19/2021

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Home Sick Pilots #2
Image Comics 2020
Written by Dan Watters
Illustrated by Caspar Wijngaard
Lettered by Aditya Bidikar

    The Old James House has lost its ghosts. With her new powers, it’s up to Ami to bring them back…whether they want to come home or not. Even when they’re really big ghosts wrapped in metal, with lots of sharp edges and things.

    Sometimes when a first issue comes in hot the second one has a lot to live up to and the last thing you want is the good ole sophomore slump.  Thankfully with this creative team there is absolutely nothing to worry about in that occurring.  So this issue starts us off with a flashback to how the Home Sick Pilots met and formed their band.  The way that Dan manages to really let us into their world before and now is great because it’s just an easy way to understand is brilliantly handled.  

    I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is extremely well done.  The character development that we see is utterly phenomenal to see.  If you see how the boys act and react to the house and Ami tells you everything you really need to know about the dynamic between these three.  I am so incredibly impressed with how we see them all act and react to the situations and circumstances really showcase who these kids are.  The pacing we see is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way it’s wonderful to really get a closer look at all aspects of the story.

    The way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow and emerge keep adding new and stronger dimensions to the story.  I like how we see the way that we see how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow.  Dan has some impressive writing skills and they are on full display here and just the way he presents something is outside the box and makes it appear as normal as can be or kind of like Marilyn fit into the Munsters either way you slice it it works better than you think it would on paper.

    The interiors here is great.  Caspar is able to utilise the linework and its varying weights that are able to showcase the detail work we see is pretty amazing.  I am going to say we need to see more backgrounds, i love seeing them and they enhance the moments and bring this amazing depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the book.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a superb eye for storytelling.  The colour work is incredibly rendered.  I think my favourite is when we see the red and black moments, they have this whole way about them of conveying a lot of emotion and feeling through the way see this.  The various hues and tones that we see within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is really rather impressive.
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    I am having fun with this so far and things are never going to be what you think they are and that’s pretty amazing in and of itself.  You can never think you know what’s going to happen or know how characters are going to react so it is really one of those really tension building stories that you can’t get enough of.  It engages the reader beautifully and it will keep you coming back time and time again because now you have to know what we’ll see next.

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Robyn Hood in Iron Maiden #1

1/18/2021

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Robyn Hood in Iron Maiden #1
Zenescope Entertainment 2021
Written by Joe Brusha
Illustrated by Renato Rei
Coloured by Grostieta
Lettered by Taylor Esposito of Ghost Glyph Studio

    An outlaw, a vigilante, a hero bringing justice to those in need, Robyn has been there for her city, even when her city has had a target on her back. With Robyn, still an outlaw from the law in the city she calls home, it’s pretty much torture for her daily not being able to freely roam the streets, and dealing with strikes from all sides. But when a new threat comes to town, one too familiar with torture herself, will it be too much for our favorite archer to handle when she takes on, The Iron Maiden!?

    The opening is intriguing mainly because in that era for a wife to this angry about what her husband does well it’s a little surprising.  I mean I would be more surprised to learn she didn’t have a lover of her own among the gladiator’s her husband owned.  I’m also not altogether convinced that is enough to warrant her punishment.  I would more likely believe that she was accused of stealing or trying to escape for reasons to put there.  I’m not sure if this is really what Joe envisions when readers’ become engaged because it’s more about questioning his choices and his writing than anything else.  

    Then there’s the second opening here the one with Wepstein.  He’s not even trying to hide what is going on here as adding a W to the last name is seriously going to do anything.  It shows a lack of creativity and honestly just ripping off someone’s life, as despicable as it is to create a story from it, sigh.  Change the name considerably and make it look like an attempt to have legitimately tried to create a new story.  Human trafficking is something that persists today and it’s horrendous so i’m more than disappointed in Joe for his lackluster approach.

    I wish this had started with Robyn seeing the father talking to the police it would have been a much better way to start this second part of the book and the get the story really moving.  There are multiple little plot lines happening here that will eventually merge into one and I am not sure how many are really necessary.  I do like seeing Robyn using some detective skills and getting into a teenage club, which versions I know used to exist is the one that is believable to me.  From here the story is really rather interesting.  I love seeing her do the whole detective range and find herself in over her head once again.

The interiors here are great.  I love the pure comic book style that we see and the way that the linework and it’s varying weights bring out the detail work we see is impressive.  I am liking the way we see the composition in the panels and how backgrounds are being utilised.  This enhances the moments and brings a great perspective within the story.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a superb eye for storytelling.  The colour work is wonderful to see and how the varying techniques to lay it down are being utilised is beautifully done.   How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the highlights, shading and shadow work is impressive.
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    For all the nitpicking I really am enjoying this story.  The idea behind is incredibly solid and this is the perfect kind of street vigilante vehicle to see her a part of.  Whether this gets back to the Island, or hopefully not, one thing is clear the Iron Maiden needs more explanation as to how it works and how or whom the woman was who cursed it.  Robyn Hood is a great super heroine and I wish Mackie, Meares had taken this one after all Outlaw and Vigilante leading up to this arc were phenomenal.  Still this has a great feel to it and I look forward to seeing what’s next.

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